Doyle Davidson | Jesus Did the Father's Will

BIOGRPAHY OF DOYLE DAVIDSON:

Doyle Davidson was born on a farm near Sarcoxie, Missouri in 1932. He served as a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy during the Korean War, spending 27 months in Yokosuka, Japan. After his return to the states he was one of thirty students admitted to the University of Missouri, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1958. In August, just prior to entering veterinary school, he was rotating the tires on his car and the presence of God fell upon him and he heard, "I don't want you to be a veterinarian, I want you to be a minister of the gospel." He did not obey God that day and went on to receive a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He moved to north Texas and established a successful equine veterinary practice.

In 1968 God moved in Doyle's life and for two years, the presence of the Lord rode in his car asking him when he was going to preach the gospel. The Lord directed him in 1969 to sell his hospital and practice and obey him. January 2nd, 1970, the sale was finalized, and he drove away not knowing where he was going. Although born again as a small boy, Jesus became Lord of his life that day and he was subsequently baptized in water and the Holy Spirit.

God sent him to Israel in 1974, anointing him to preach the gospel at the Garden Tomb, June 16th, with Acts 1:8 burning in his heart. In 1980, God instructed Doyle to speak to the people of Plano, Texas. He established Water of Life Ministries, and in 1982, closed his veterinary practice.

Doyle is called as a servant and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2017 the Lord said to him, "I have chosen you, sent you, to the four corners of the earth to deliver my word without despair or fear."

INTRODUCTION

In November 1988, I received a request from a pastor in Africa for some of our tapes. God directed me to send 10 teaching tapes, and I did. We received an additional eight requests for tapes in November and December 1988, and we received 6,000 requests in 1989. Through June 1990, we have sent over 88,000 hours of teaching and worship tapes to 9,000 people in the United States of America and 18 foreign countries.

In August 1989, God directed me to make available on tape the teachings He has given me on "The Gospel and Its Benefits" and "The Blood of Jesus." Since August 1989, we have sent, free of charge upon request, one tape each month for 20 months, beginning with the first tape in the series--"He Rose Again."

God has now directed me to put the teachings from "The Gospel and Its Benefits" and "The Blood of Jesus" in book form and to distribute these books--again, without charge upon request. In I Corinthians 9:9-18, the apostle Paul says:

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care of oxen (v. 9)?

Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope (v. 10).

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things (v. 11)?

If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ (v. 12).

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar (v. 13)?

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel (v. 14).

But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void (v. 15).

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel (v. 16)!

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me (v. 17).

What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel (v. 18).

That is what God has instructed me to do--make the gospel of Christ without charge.

God has revealed these teachings to me over the last 20 years. If you have ears to hear, lay aside your religious pride, your religious tradition, your tradition of man, your denominationalism, your theology, and your bible school teachings. I Corinthians 8:1 tells us that knowledge puffeth up, but charity, or love, edifieth. II John 6 states: "This is love, that we walk after his commandments." And John 14:23 states: "If a man love me, he will keep my words."

If you love God, you will keep His words. If you keep His words, you will keep His commission, and if you keep His commission, you will preach the gospel. If you preach the gospel, God will send you, and if God sends you, you will preach the gospel.

If you preach the gospel, it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes--to the Jew first and also to the Greek. "For therein [the gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by [His] faith (Romans 1:16-17, quoting Habakkuk 2:4).

CHAPTER 1

JESUS WALKED AS A MAN

In our earlier books, we saw that the gospel of Christ is the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes--to the Jew first and also to the Greek. We saw that the gospel is always a blessing, that the gospel is always with power, and that the gospel is always "yes"!

In our next books, we are going to see how God reconciled man to Himself through the gospel. We are going to see how Jesus behaved during the three days in which the events of the gospel took place, and we are going to see that if we believe the gospel, we can have its blessings in our lives.

Jesus Learned Obedience

In this book, we are going to examine some of the events that took place in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ prior to His death, burial, and resurrection. These events are not, strictly speaking, the events of the gospel itself, but Jesus had to go through them before the gospel could take place. Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered, or experienced. If Jesus had not obeyed the Father, He could not have endured the cross.

Hebrews 2:18 says that Jesus suffered being tempted. The only time we suffer is when we are tempted not to obey God. Any other kind of experience, no matter how painful, is not suffering. Jesus suffered--He was tempted--as He learned obedience.

I praise God that He taught me how Jesus walked on the earth, how He approached the cross, and how He walked in obedience to God. What I want to show you in this book is that Jesus always had perfect communication with the Father and that He always did the Father's will.

The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:7 that when Jesus came into the earth, He made Himself of no reputation. That phrase comes from the Greek word kenoo and means that He emptied Himself of all His Godly privilege and authority. Even though He was God, He did not walk as God. Instead, He walked as a man.

Jesus Was a Man

Jesus was a man. The Spirit of Jesus the man was the Son from heaven, but His soul and His body came from Mary, His mother. He was nourished in the womb by Mary, His mother, and He received His blood from Mary, His mother.

Romans 1:3 says that Jesus was "made of the seed of David according to the flesh." Hebrews 2:16 says that "he took on him the seed of Abraham." Galatians 4:4 tells us that "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." As remarkable as it may sound to religious ears, Jesus was a man.

Until Jesus was about 30 years old, He did not operate in the power of God. There was a noticeable difference in His wisdom and in His ability to ask questions, but He did not walk in the power of God. He did not perform any miracles. He did not heal anyone. He did not raise anyone from the dead. He did not upset too many people. In fact, I cannot tell that He upset anyone.

When He was about 30 years old, however, Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan. As He came up out of the river, praying, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the bodily shape of a dove.

He was baptized in the Holy Spirit and was immediately led into the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted. There He fasted and prayed and overcame the devil, and He returned into Galilee in the power of God--in the ability of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 10:38, the apostle Peter tells how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. The word "power" is from the Greek word dunamis and means ability--in this case, the ability of God. He went around doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.

So, until Jesus was about 30 years old, He did not operate in the power of God. Following His baptism in the Holy Spirit, He was still a man, but He operated in the ability of God. He walked on this earth as our example, and then He went to the cross.

Jesus Suffered Deaths

I want to look at Isaiah 53:8-9 for a moment. The 53rd chapter of Isaiah is a prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection, prophesied by Isaiah some 700-750 years prior to Jesus' coming to the earth:

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken (v. 8).

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth (v. 9).

In the ninth verse, the word "death" is plural in Hebrew. Deaths. Jesus died physically, in His soul, and spiritually.

The physical death speaks for itself. His body died and went into the grave for three days. According to Psalms 16:10, His body saw no corruption. We will speak about that more in our later books.

His soul died when it was made an offering for our sin. Isaiah 53:10 says, "Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin." Jesus' soul had to be sacrificed so that our sins could be forgiven.

The spiritual death occurred when Jesus was cut off from God. The sin that was put upon Jesus--my sin and your sin, the sin of the human race that was laid upon Him, cut Him off from God. When He was cut off from God, He descended into hell.

Sin is what separates people from God. There is a death that is spiritual death, but you are not in hell. You will ultimately go to hell, though, if you suffer spiritual death. When Jesus was made sin, He was cut off from the Father, and that spiritual death included what all spiritual death ultimately includes--Jesus went to hell.

Jesus suffered deaths, just as Isaiah prophesied. He knew as He walked on the earth that God's will was for Him to die, be buried, and be raised again. But even knowing this, Jesus said that He always did the Father's will.

Make Jesus Our Example

We know that in the new covenant, the Father said everyone would be taught of God and that all would know Him, from the least to the greatest. So I am simply going to share with you the various scriptures that God has given me over the years in the order that He desires.

If you are willing to receive these words, fine. If you reject them, Jesus said that they will judge you. They will not judge you because I am sharing them, but because they are His words and because He told me to share them.

If someone else spoke these words, and it was not by the Holy Spirit, or if I spoke them, and the Holy Spirit was not directing me, these words would not do anything to you except produce death, and we have enough of that already. So, as we see in the following pages how Jesus conducted Himself on the earth, keep in mind that God desires that you and I make Jesus our example.

I can teach these words because I walk this way, and I walk this way because God has given me revelation of it. If you can receive a revelation of what I say--if you will believe what God is saying, you will receive this in your heart, and you will never be afraid to do anything God tells you. I am not saying that you will not have fear. I am saying that you will not be afraid to obey God--you will walk it out. As you have received Jesus Christ, you will walk in Him.

CHAPTER 2

JESUS COMMUNICATED WITH THE FATHER

We are going to look at the way Jesus communicated with His Father while He was on the earth. In 1973, the Father said to me, "I want you to take the Bible, and I am going to teach you about my Son. I am going to show you about His life, and He is going to be your example. You are going to walk in the earth as He walked." I was amazed to think that a person could walk as Jesus walked.

Look at I John 2:6. This verse was spoken by the apostle John as the Holy Spirit gave him utterance:

He that saith he abideth in him [Jesus] ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

These words are difficult for a human mind--a human soul, that is, the will, intellect, and emotion--to comprehend. Having grown up in a religious home in the United States of America--and America is a religious nation, I was amazed that anyone could think that a person could walk as Jesus walked. Not only does this verse say that we can, it says that each of us "...ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." It is our duty to walk as Jesus walked.

God Will Judge the World

Acts 17:31 states that God has appointed a day in righteousness in which He will judge the people of the world by that one righteous man, Jesus. I was astonished when I read these scriptures describing how Jesus walked and realized that God wanted me to walk even as He walked.

Look at Acts 17:30-31:

And the times of this ignorance (referring to idolatry) God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent (v. 30):

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead (v. 31).

God will judge the world--judge the nations, judge you and me--on the appointed day by that man, the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a righteous judgment, and if you and I are to receive rewards for our service, we will have to walk as Jesus walked.

Now, if I did not fear God, I would do as I pleased. I love the church, or I would not say this, but the church of America is a rebellious organism. It barely knows God.

Most of the preachers in this country barely know Jesus or anything about Him. They do not do the will of the Father. They do their own will. They all have a plan, and I doubt very seriously if many of them ever consider that a day will come when they will be judged in righteousness, with Jesus Christ as their example. If they did, they would not do the rebellious deeds that they do in the earth.

I marvel at American religion. It is not Christianity, it is merely religion. I marvel at the rebellious, self-willed ways of American religionists and their lack of concern for what Jesus thinks.

Our law enforcement agencies, our courts, and our churches are all similar. Of course, that is not surprising, because Ezekiel chapter 22 tells us that if the prophets disobey God first, there is a decline in all society.

The decline starts with the prophets, then it goes to the church of God, then to the judges, courts and politicians, and following that to the people. I see a disregard for human beings and a disregard for the Father's will, both in the church and in the court system of America.

God Hears Us Always

As I began to study the life of the Lord Jesus, I wrote down 24 or so characteristics about His life. One of the characteristics that always astonished me was the way Jesus conducted Himself on the earth. I saw that He had perfect communication with the Father.

Look at John 11:41-42. I remember when the Father was teaching me these verses. It is so vivid in my heart, it is almost like it was yesterday. I want you to read something that still amazes me:

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead [Lazarus] was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me (v. 41).

And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me (v. 42).

Can you believe that God hears you always? Is that within your heart? Is that something religious tradition has taught you? Or have you been taught that God withdraws His presence from you, hides His face from you, and wants you to suffer?

Do you know that God hears you always? I did not ask if you believe these verses or understand these verses. I asked if you know that He hears you always.

If you know that God hears you always, you will not always be afraid. You will not pray and then ask, "God, did You hear that?" He hears you always.

Jesus said, "I know that thou hearest me always." I John 2:6 says that if you say that you abide in Jesus, you ought also so to walk even as He walked. If you walk even as He walked, you know that the Father hears you always.

If you can receive this in your spirit and believe that God hears you always, you will overcome your doubt and unbelief. God hears you always! If God hears you always, you do not have another thing to worry about.

The Church Does Not Believe

I am absolutely overwhelmed sometimes with the blindness of the religious guides of America and the heresies they teach. If they really believed that Jesus is our example, that we should walk as He walked, and that there is a day coming when we will be judged according to Jesus and His righteousness, they would change their entire approach to Christianity. There is no way that you can believe God and say that you believe God and not walk as Jesus walked. It is impossible.

You say, "Well, Doyle, I don't think like that. I don't believe that God hears me always. I'm not worthy. I'm not like that." That is your whole problem. You do not believe that Jesus is your example.

The church does not believe that Jesus died for you and that He rose again. The church does not believe that He sanctified you and set you apart to God, that He made you a king and priest in this earth, and that you can reign and rule in this life through one Christ Jesus. The church does not believe that.

We have false teachers perpetrating false doctrines in the church in America. These false doctrines are accepted and spoken in Jesus' name constantly, and people embrace those doctrines wholeheartedly. I used to believe them also, but I do not anymore. I do not have time for false doctrines.

God Hears My Prayers

Jesus said that He knew that the Father heard Him always. When God was teaching me this in 1973, I was overwhelmed with the thought that God would hear me always. Then one day, I sat meditating about the fact that God listens to me and hears me and that His ears are open to our prayers.

As I was meditating on this and on how Jesus said that He knew the Father heard him always, I suddenly thought--and I know the Holy Spirit revealed this to me, "God has a record of all my sins, and He hears every unjust word that I speak. If, as Jesus states in Matthew 12:36, I must give account for every idle word that I speak, then surely God hears my prayers, too."

Religious people have a strange way of praying, however. They pray like God is on a journey or does not want to hear them. They make it sound so difficult to get to heaven, when actually there is no problem at all. All you have to do is go boldly into heaven by the blood of Jesus. You can be there any time you want to. In fact, you should live there.

But as I was meditating, the Spirit of God began to clear my heart and take the religious garbage out of me. He began to teach me that Jesus knew the Father and heard Him always, and that you and I can know Him, too. It is tremendous to know that the Father will always hear you.

CHAPTER 3

JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS

I mentioned earlier that Jesus did not operate in the power of God until He was baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, and fasted and prayed and overcame the devil. Only then did He return into Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is remarkable to think that Jesus was a man and that He is our example. It is remarkable to think that Jesus could have been unrighteous. If He could not have been unrighteous, why did Satan bother to tempt Him?

Habakkuk 2:4 says, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him." The Spirit of Jesus the man was the Son from Heaven. That Spirit was perfect and righteous. His soul and His body, however, came from His earthly mother and had to be made upright, just as our spirit, soul, and body will be made upright. We will be made upright when we walk as He walked.

He That Doeth Righteousness Is Righteous

Matthew 3:13 begins:

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him (v. 13).

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me (v. 14)?

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him (v. 15).

The word "righteousness" means to be declared right. To be declared right, you must be led by the Spirit of God, and everything you do must be the will of God.

We were taught that righteousness was a position. We were taught that we were made righteous when we received Jesus Christ.

Studying the life of Jesus, however, I began to see that righteousness is by faith, and that it is in the heart. Then I saw that Jesus was a righteous servant. Isaiah 53:11 prophesies about Jesus:

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;

Jesus is called a righteous servant. His Spirit was the Son from heaven, but He had a soul and a body like ours. His soul and His body had weaknesses like ours, and He could have yielded to the temptations that He faced. What made Jesus righteous was His faith and His obedience to the Father.

I John 3:7 says:

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that doeth righteousness is righteous, not he that knows all the definitions of the word.

Look again at Matthew 3:15:

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Jesus was called a righteous servant. It was God's will that John the Baptist baptize Jesus in the river Jordan, and He fulfilled God's righteousness, because He was led by the Spirit and obeyed.

Jesus Pleased the Father

Matthew 3:16-17 continue:

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him (v. 16):

Jesus had just received water baptism and baptism in the Holy Spirit and He heard this:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased (v. 17).

It pleased the Father that Jesus should be baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit, and the Father said so. Jesus is our example, so our water baptism and baptism in the Holy Spirit also please the Father. Remember that I John 2:6 tells us: "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

Jesus Was Led by the Spirit

According to Luke 3:23, "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age." Then, in Luke 4:1, we see:

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (v. 1),

Being forty days tempted of the devil... (v. 2).

The Father was pleased that Jesus came up out of the water and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Father was equally as pleased that He entered into the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted of the devil. Jesus was still righteous, and He was righteous because He was doing everything that God asked Him to do. He was being led by the Spirit of God. To be led by the Spirit is to walk by faith.

Jesus Was Tempted of the Devil

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted of the devil, and as Luke 4:2 says:

...in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

At the end of the 40 days, three temptations occurred that the Holy Spirit thought important enough to record. They are recorded by both Matthew and Luke, and the apostle Peter tells us that the holy men of God only wrote when the Holy Ghost moved upon them. Therefore, we should pay attention.

Luke 4:3 begins:

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread (v. 3).

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (v. 4).

Jesus had been tempted 40 days, led by the Holy Spirit, and Satan knew He was hungry. He had been fasting for 40 days. Satan said, "Command this stone that it be made bread." In effect, he said, "I want you to misuse your authority." Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written..."

Jesus did not simply pluck His response out of Deuteronomy 8:3 and quote it. Jesus only spoke what He heard His Father speak. In John 7:16, Jesus said that His doctrine was not His. In John 5:30, He said, "As I hear, I judge." In John 14:24, He said, "The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."

Jesus only spoke what He heard His Father speak. The Father, by the Spirit of God, revealed to Him: "...It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, overcame the devil with faith.

All the Kingdoms of the World

Luke 4:5 continues:

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Religious people say that the devil could not lead Jesus around. They say, "He cannot even lead me; I am _blood bought._" You may be "blood bought," but before Jesus died, and was buried, and rose again, He overcame the devil, and to overcome the devil, He had to be taken up on that mountain.

Look at Luke 4:5 again:

...Shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time (v. 5).

And the devil said unto him (v. 6),...

Some people are so "holy" that they do not think that the devil can talk to them. The devil said unto Jesus:

..All this power [authority] will I give thee, and the glory of them... (v. 6):

All the power, all the authority of what? All the kingdoms of the world, and all the honor that goes with them. The devil was talking to the Man from heaven, Jesus. And he knew who He was.

I have heard people say that the devil did not know who Jesus was until the Father said, "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." If that is so, why did the devil, through King Herod, try to kill Jesus as an infant? People amaze me with their ignorance.

The devil continued, in Luke 4:6:

...For that is delivered unto me;...

Who delivered the authority to the devil? Adam, when he disobeyed God. It was the will of God that Adam disobey Him. It was part of God's plan to reconcile man to Himself that Adam disobey Him. Even more amazing is that God had His plan from the foundation of the earth. We will look at God's plan in our next book, "God's Plan For Reconciliation."

Whomsoever I Will I Give It

Then the devil said, in Luke 4:6:

...And to whomsoever I will I give it.

Religious people will tell you that the devil cannot speak the truth, and that everything he says is a lie. If that is true, Jesus should simply have called him a liar. Either Jesus was confused, or religious people have a problem with the Bible.

Satan finished, in Luke 4:7:

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

Jesus had fasted 40 days, being tempted of the devil, and then the devil told him he would give Him the power--the authority--over all the kingdoms of the world.

Jesus was a righteous servant, however, and the Father knew He was not going to fall. Why? Because Isaiah 42:1 says that the Father made Jesus stand.

Look at Isaiah 42:1:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

This is a prophecy about Jesus. In this prophecy, God says that He upholds Jesus. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil 40 days, and at the end of that time, Satan said, "if thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine."

Worship the Lord thy God

Look at Jesus' answer, in Luke 4:8:

And Jesus answered and said unto him,...

Again, Jesus did not simply quote Deuteronomy 6:13. In John 6:63, Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The Holy Spirit gave Jesus the words to speak:

...Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (v. 8).

Satan said, "You are tired, you are hungry, you have been out here 40 days; now I will honor you and you will not have to go through this any longer." I do not know that he said exactly that, but he might as well have.

Every minister will be brought face to face with this situation. You will be tempted to misuse authority, and you will have Satan offer to honor you. All you will have to do is compromise the gospel and bow down to religious organizations--to religious spirits, and Satan has you. He will honor you, too. That is what has happened in America. That is what has happened all over the world.

Religious people told me that without men's support, I could go nowhere. God told me that if I relied on the support of men, I would not go anywhere. So I said, "Amen, Jesus, let's go forward."

Thou Shalt Not Tempt the Lord

The third temptation we read about is in Luke 4:9:

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence (v. 9):

For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee (v. 10):

And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone (v. 11).

And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (v. 12).

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season (v. 13).

In other words, Satan was telling Jesus, "Well, you have been quoting scripture to me, now I am going to quote some to you. Jump off, because it is written that God has given His angels charge over you to bear you up. I will quote the Word just as you have."

What did Satan do? He took the scripture out of context; he wrested it and twisted it, and that is the devil's way. It does not matter who you are; if you twist scripture, Satan is speaking from your mouth.

Jesus answered, "...Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." To twist scripture, to take it out of context and misapply it, tempts God.

Full of the Holy Ghost

Now, I want to show you that during the time Jesus was in the wilderness--from the time in Luke 4:1 that He was led by the Spirit until the time in Luke 4:14 that He returned into Galilee, a change occurred in Jesus' soul and body.

In Luke 4:1, we are told that Jesus was "full of the Holy Ghost." In verse 14, He returned, "in the power of the Spirit." During those 40 days, He fasted, prayed, and quoted the Word of God to Satan.

You cannot convince me that the only times Jesus quoted the Word to the devil are the three times we just read. He had been resisting him with His faith the entire 40 days. That is how He kept from falling into temptation. What did Jesus say to the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane? "Pray..." Why? "...That you enter not into temptation."

Jesus Humbled His Soul with Fasting

In addition, Jesus fasted for 40 days. Isaiah 58:6 says:

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Jesus' soul was not upright in Him. He was full of the Holy Spirit, and His Spirit was the Son from Heaven, but His soul and body were from His earthly mother. Religious people cannot see that if Jesus is truly our example, He had to obey Psalm 35:13 and humble His soul with fasting.

Study the tenth chapter of Acts. Cornelius, the centurion of the Italian band, was a devout man, one who feared God with all his house and gave "much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." When Peter asked Cornelius why Cornelius had sent for him, Cornelius answered, in Acts 10:30:

Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,...

God sent Peter to preach the gospel to Cornelius because Cornelius gave much alms, prayed to God always, and fasted. If you expect to receive anything from God, you will have to do likewise.

Power of the Spirit

So, between Luke 4:1 and Luke 4:14, Jesus went through 40 days of fasting and praying, and He returned in the power of the Spirit. He went into the wilderness full of the Spirit. He came back in the power of the Spirit. There was a change in His soul and His body during those 40 days, because He went from being full of the Spirit to being in the power of the Spirit.

He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and He went into the synagogue. As was His custom, he stood up to read. The people there recognized Him as Joseph's son. They did not know that He was the Messiah. He did not look any different after fasting for 40 days. He may have lost some weight, but the Bible does not say.

They handed Him the book of the prophet Isaiah, and according to Luke 4:18, He read,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (v. 18),

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord (v. 19).

In other words, He said, "What I have just spoken is what is accepted. Nothing else--no other kind of preaching--is accepted, and I spent 40 days fasting to learn to walk in obedience to the Father."

They Were Filled with Wrath

Luke 4:20 continues:

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

All of you know what happened. The eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and He said to them, in verse 21,

This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

He continued speaking, and they became very angry. Verse 28 says:

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,...

It was His custom to read. They had never become wrathful before. They would not have handed Him the book if they had been angry. Verses 29-30 tell us that they:

... rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong (v. 29).

But he passing through the midst of them went his way (v. 30),

Glory be to Jesus--that, my friend, is ruling! Jesus passed through the midst of them and went His way.

Jesus Pleased the Father

Now, the point of what we have just read is this--Jesus always did the will of the Father, and everything that He did pleased the Father. It even pleased the Father to upset those in Jesus' home synagogue to the point that they wanted to kill Him.

The 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and praying, were in preparation for Jesus to begin His ministry, and that is how the Father will prepare you. He will not send you out to preach and let you be destroyed.

God will lead you somewhere the way He did Jesus. That is what He did to me. He taught me, and when I could walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, God sent me to the Methodist church for three years. I grew in more power, and when I was able to walk in enough power to rule in the city of Plano, Texas, He led me here.

He did not bring me here because I preached a good word, because sometimes I could not even make the words come out. He brought me here because I obeyed Him. I want you to know how God works. I want you to see the will of the Father. I want you to see that obeying the will of the Father is what made Jesus a righteous servant.

I thought God would strike me down the first time I said that Jesus had to be made righteous. After all, I knew that Jesus' Spirit was always righteous. Righteousness, however, is doing the will of the Father.

You can confess yourself righteous and be as unrighteous as any man alive. Confessing yourself righteous has nothing to do with being righteous. Righteousness is being led by the Spirit.

Romans 8:4 tells us:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The righteousness of the law is fulfilled when you walk after the Spirit, and Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan.

CHAPTER 4

JESUS PLEASED THE FATHER

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus always did the things that pleased the Father. Look at John 8:28. These are words that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees:

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things (v. 28).

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him (v. 29).

Remember that in John 11:42, Jesus said that the Father always heard Him. Here, Jesus says, "I do always those things that please him." And in I John 2:6, the apostle John said that we ought to walk as Jesus walked.

If we walk as Jesus walked, God always hears us, and we can always do the things that please Him and nothing else. That is not trial and error. That is not "win some, lose some." That is perfect fellowship with God, perfect obedience, doing what God wants you to do. The only things you will ever do are those things that please God.

Now, if you do what pleases God, you will not be pleasing yourself. God will test you in every way before He gives you much responsibility, to find out whether you want to please yourself or whether you will always do those things that please Him.

I do not know of anything in my life today that is not pleasing to God. If I did, I would ask God to do something about it. I am not telling you that I am not doing anything--I am telling you that I do not know of anything.

If I were doing something that was not pleasing to Him, within a few hours He would tell me. It does not take God very long to get through to me now. It used to take Him a long time. But I am not afraid to tell you boldly that what I am doing today is pleasing to God.

Do you know how I know that what I am doing today is pleasing to God? Because I will boldly say so.

If you boldly, unashamedly, before people, say that you are pleasing God, and you are not telling the truth, God will stop you and say, "Wait a minute, I'll show you that you are not obeying Me." Never think that you can please yourself.

Every time I say this, I say, "Well, praise God, we will find out, won't we?" But I know what pleases God. And it blesses Him for you and me to obey Him and trust Him.

Learn to Trust God

Right after I became a Christian, I was on my farm in Missouri. On the farm was a barn with a tin roof. One side of the barn had a low roof line, but on the other side, the roof abruptly dropped 25 feet straight to the ground.

A couple of nails were sticking out of some of the tin on the roof, so I asked my father to hold onto one end of a rope while I walked down to the edge of the roof and nailed the tin down. I took my hammer and some nails and a rope, and my father sat on the top of the barn holding the rope while I walked down to the edge of the roof.

While I was sitting there, God said to me, "You trust your earthly father to keep you on this barn." I said, "Sure, he won't turn me loose." God said, "Why don't you trust me like that?" I said, "You have to be kidding."

God has given me some practical lessons. There I was, 25 feet above the ground, sitting on the very edge of the roof, hanging onto a rope, and God said to me, "You trust your earthly father to keep you up here. That is the way I want you to trust Me--to trust Me that when you are right on the edge of a cliff, about to go over, I will not let you fall."

I have never forgotten what God said to me, even though it was 20 years ago. I remember that, but I do not even remember when I received Jesus.

It is important to remember that you are more than saved. It is important to remember the words that God speaks to your heart about trusting Him, because trusting God is the greatest thing that you can ever do. Trusting Him will keep you saved.

I am teaching you to believe God and always do the things that please Him. When you do the things that please God, and you do not do anything except the things that please Him, He will always bless you. He will protect you. His angels will have charge over you, and they will not let you dash your foot against a stone. But you have to learn to trust God.

The apostle Paul said that he learned to be sufficient in whatever state he was in. He did not say that one day he was saved and suddenly he was sufficient. He said that he learned to be sufficient.

God Will Test You

That word "learn" means "with instruction and experience." You learn by experience. You will find yourself in a strange situation, you will listen to God and trust Him, and He will direct your path.

God will test your spirit every way. He will test you in every relationship. He will test everything you do to find out if you will listen to Him. If you always do what pleases Him, then, after you pass the test, He will say, "Well, the test is over, and now the blessings are yours."

Most Christians do not believe that. They have been taught that Jesus was tested so that they do not have to be. Let me tell you, you will have a test every day with God. Every morning God will say, "Well, we will lead you in a righteous path today."

Satan Will Try to Hinder You

When God leads you in a righteous path, Satan is standing at every exit, saying, "Come here, come here." There is an exit every 15 feet. If you jump off the path and through the exit, Satan has you.

I am not trying to scare you; I am simply telling you not to listen to every voice you hear. Satan will come and do anything he can to hinder you.

One day I was praising and worshiping God, and I heard the devil say, "I am going to kill you today." I said, "No, you are not!" He said, "You have done something that does not please me, and I am going to kill you."

I said, "No, you are not, devil! I know who you are. I know your voice. I please the Father of spirits, not you." That went on for five or ten minutes, then he left me.

That is the way the devil will talk to you. He was trying to convince me that he was God, that I had done something that God did not like, and that He was going to kill me for it.

You will have that kind of attack. I am no longer afraid when those attacks come. I simply say, "No, you will not. I know my Father. And I always do the things that please Him." The devil has not said he was going to kill me in several months.

I have not only had him say it to me, but I have had him try it. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. If you yield to the devil, he will take advantage of you. You have to resist the devil when he comes. You cannot give place to the devil.

Lay Down Your Life

Let me tell you something. I graduated from the University of Missouri in 1962, after I had been in the Navy for four years. I have been outside the United States, and I have done a lot of things in my life. I had a lot of soulish success.

When I began to learn about obeying God, and found out that unless I obeyed Him I was going to be an illegitimate child, I had to make some decisions. I had to decide whether I wanted to follow God or not. I sat down and began to think.

I did not have any problems in the world when I received Christ. I was a sinner, the chiefest of them, but nothing was seriously bothering me. I was not ill. No one in my family was ill. I did not have financial problems. I was a very fortunate person, frankly.

But God had been visiting me for about 12 years, and the last two years--1968-1969, God spoke to me day and night. In fact, I know now that He put an angel of the Lord in the right front seat of my automobile.

I was a practicing veterinarian with an equine practice in North Texas and other areas in the United States, and I drove thousands of miles. That angel sat in my car day and night. Every time I would get in the car he would be there asking, "Why don't you preach the gospel? Why don't you obey God?"

I was so frustrated, I thought, "Why don't you get out of my car? Why don't you leave me alone?" But I thank God that He did not.

Consider Your Life

I had to consider the life that I had lived. I had to consider what I saw written in the scriptures. It became very obvious to me that if the scriptures meant what they said (and I did not even believe that), there were far greater achievements and far greater blessings available to me by obeying God than by continuing to walk in the flesh.

I have always been the kind of person who thought things out. Jesus said to me one time, "You cannot do anything unless you can figure it out in your mind, right?" At the time, I did not know what to think, and I said, "Exactly, you are right, Jesus." Now I know that Jesus was making fun of me, and now I can do things without figuring them out in my mind.

I always appreciate what God has done for me. I still use my mind to read and study. I still think, but I think on the things of God--the things that are pure, the things that are just, the things that are lovely, the things that are true, the things that are honest. That is what I keep my mind on most of the time now.

Take up His Life

Anyway, as I considered that I could walk perfectly before God and that I could always do those things that please Him, I decided that I wanted to do it. Then I found out that I was unable to. That is where God comes in. If you will make a decision that you want to follow the Lord Jesus, He will take your life.

You cannot simply decide to follow Jesus. He will have to lead you. You will have to lay down your life and take up His. You are incapable of following the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh. You will have to put your body to death through the Spirit.

If you want to follow Jesus, you will have to take up His resurrected life. Walk as He walked in the earth, being led by the Spirit, doing always what pleases the Father, and having the Father always hear you. When you do, the blessings, the peace, and all the things that come upon you by obeying the Lord Jesus Christ will be the greatest blessings and achievements that you will ever experience on the earth.

CHAPTER 5

DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER

In the fourth chapter of the book of John, Jesus' disciples had gone into the city to get some food. While they were gone, Jesus talked with the woman at the well. When the disciples came back with food, Jesus said in John 4:32:

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of (v. 32).

Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat (v. 33)?

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (v.34).

Jesus decided to do the will of the Father rather than eat. Could you say, "I do not want to eat; I am going to do the will of the Father; that is my meat," and forego eating? Could you forego anything in your life and say, "I am going to do the will of the Father; that is my meat; that is my strength"? That is the way God will lead you.

Your favorite Bible teacher will come to town, and God will send you to do something else. Some Christians run from one seminar to the next, one Bible teacher to the next. They do not know if God wants them to go or not. Their favorite teacher comes, and they simply have to go.

Do not ever make anything or anyone an idol. Know this, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

You Can Hear God

Turn to John 5:17-20. These are remarkable verses, and people who are going to follow God will have to walk according to them. My prayer for America and the world is that God will open the ears and the eyes of the human race so people can hear and obey God.

You ask, "Why do you think you can hear God?" All I can tell you is that I can, and I am not ashamed to say so. God has brought my life to a place where I can hear Him and obey Him. If that seems proud to you, I am sorry. But if you have enough humility, you can at least say that if Jesus heard God, I can, too.

I know that some of the people around me are sometimes troubled by the way God leads me, but it is God, and they do not bother me. This ministry works perfectly, just as Jesus' ministry did. This ministry lacks nothing.

In addition, God told me six or seven years ago that He would not let me make a mistake, and I believe Him. As I have continued to walk as Jesus walked, I see more and more clearly that Christians do not have to continue living in sin, making mistakes, falling into error, and missing God. Jesus did not, and He does not want you to, either.

Jesus Ignored the Sabbath

John 5:17 begins:

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work (v. 17).

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (v. 18).

Verse 18 says that the Jews sought to kill Jesus because He broke the sabbath. In Luke 16:16, however, Jesus told the Pharisees that the law and the prophets were preached until John the Baptist, but since then the kingdom of God is preached.

Jesus ignored the sabbath. He ignored all the Ten Commandments. Why? Because the kingdom of God was preached since John the Baptist, not the law. The church of America needs to believe that.

Did you know that under the law of Moses, if Jesus had actually broken the sabbath, He would have had to pay the penalty? Only religious people believe that Jesus broke the sabbath. The sabbath ended with the preaching of the kingdom of God. That is why Jesus could do what He did.

Jesus Did Nothing of Himself

John 5:19 continues:

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

That is a humble statement: "The Son can do nothing of himself."

That is the way Jesus walked in the earth. He was the Son of God. He was the Messiah. He was God. According to John 5:18, He said that God was His Father, making Himself equal to God.

Nevertheless, even though Jesus was God, He did nothing of Himself. Nothing. He did not take the Old Testament and preach, nor should we take the New Testament and preach. He only did what the Father told Him to do. He never preached unless the Father sent Him.

What does verse 19 say? "The Son cannot preach anything without the Father." You may say, "It does not say that." Yes it does: "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do."

Do Nothing of Yourself

Preachers need to see that without the Father, their preaching is in vain. You cannot take the book of Matthew and preach. God will send you in the Spirit with the verses He wants you to speak, and then He will cause you to say what He wants you to.

My teaching tapes are never alike. I do not have any notes. I merely have scriptural references, because I do not know what I am going to say about a verse until I speak. Why? Because I cannot do anything of myself. Jesus taught me that.

Some of you may have said or heard that God gave you certain talents when you were born, and that God wants you to use those talents as He intended you to. Jesus did not walk that way, and neither should you.

Jesus said in John 5:19:

...The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do:

God taught me, "You cannot do anything of yourself. The only thing you can do is continue to pray, believing, and give Me an opportunity to bring it to pass."

God Will Show You All Things

Jesus continued in John 5:19:

...For what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise (v. 19).

For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel (v. 20).

"...The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth:..." In the Old Testament, in the book of Amos, it is written that God does nothing unless He reveals it to His servants, the prophets. Jesus said that the Father showed Him everything. He showed Him all things that Himself doeth.

If God can find a person in the earth who will obey Him, listen to Him, wait on Him, pray, and seek His face, God will show him all things that He is doing through that person's life.

God will take you as far as you are willing to go. You have to come to a place that you know that you can do nothing of yourself before you will ever be able to obey God.

People say, "Well, you cannot always tell about God." Do you know what that tells me? They do not know Him. They do not know anything about Him. John 5:20 says: "He sheweth him all things." The Father showed the Son all things that He did. He will show us. If He does not show us, we should not do it.

Do Not Be Too "Spiritual"

Now, I have met some people who are so "spiritual" that they pray about whether they should eat. I have asked people if they would like to go to dinner, and they answered, "I need to pray about it."

That does not bother me if you are walking in the Spirit, because God might not want you to eat with me. If I invite you, though, there is a good chance that God wants you to go. I know, because I have had God tell me, "I want you to take So-and-so to dinner."

There is a man at Water of Life Church who came one Sunday morning with his wife, and while we were worshiping God, God said, "Take that family to lunch." After the service I walked back and asked, "Would you like to go to lunch?" They said, "Yes." I said, "Well, it is God's treat."

They went to lunch with me. Thousands of visitors have been in this church whom I did not take to lunch. That family still attends this church.

Another man came to this church, and the first time he came, God said, "Take him to lunch." I took him to lunch and talked to him for an hour and a half about God. I took him to lunch two or three times and shared with him about Jesus.

He would not believe anything. He is not here today. God gave that man a chance he might never have again.

Greater Works Than These

Look at the rest of John 5:20:

"...And he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."

If God has a message for you, do not be surprised if He takes you off someplace to speak to you. Similarly, if God sends someone to talk to you, if you are smart, you will listen and thank God. It is not the works of that person--it is the works of the Father. The Father will show that person what to do.

Let me say this, no one who reads this book or listens to my tapes or comes to Water of Life Church receives anything from me. What you receive through me are the works of the Father working in me. He shows me what to do, or I will not do it. So do not say, "Doyle, I want to thank you." Thank God, instead. I appreciate your graciousness, but I appreciate much more your obedience to God.

Nothing would make me happier than to see everyone who reads this book walk in the Spirit, obey God, cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, walk in prosperity, preach the gospel, and get people to speak in tongues. If all you say to me is, "Hi, Doyle," and do those things, that will be enough. Forget the rest, because I will sit and marvel at what God has done in your life. That would make me happy.

I do not need your compliments. The compliment is to see my letter written in you, read by the world. That is what Jesus did. When you get Christ in you and the kingdom of God in you, you will not want man's honor. You will only want the honor of God.

CHAPTER 6

JESUS JUDGED AS HE HEARD

In John 5:30, Jesus says:

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

I remember during the 1970's, when God began to raise me up as an apostle and prophet, God started judging out of my mouth. I was concerned, because I grew up in a Christian home, and my mother certainly knew Matthew 7:1: "Judge not, that ye be not judged," as most Baptists do.

I knew that I could get in trouble judging, and I did not want any part of it. I did not want to be involved in judging God's people or anyone else.

Then I saw that Jesus said: "As I hear, I judge." Since I have learned to walk in the Spirit and obey God, people come up to me making all kinds of rebellious stateme
nts, doing all kinds of rebellious acts, and I ignore what they are saying and doing. Then, all of a sudden, the wrong person will come in the wrong spirit, and the power of God in me will leap up out of my heart, and as I hear, I judge, and I speak.

One time in the early 1970's, a Spirit-filled preacher and his wife asked me to teach the Bible in their church. So I did. A man from Yale University was also at that church. That man thought God had sent him, but he was simply a charismatic minister loose in America, running around trying to find a place to reside.

The pastor and his wife wanted me to teach in their church, but they did not want me to teach the full counsel of God. They wanted me to teach their way.

I was with them one day, and suddenly the power of God came up out of my mouth, sharper than a two-edged sword, and rebuked that pastor with about ten words. The man from Yale said, "You have lots of bitterness in you. You need to forgive religious people." I thought, "Well, if I do, I do."

But I knew that what I had said came from deep inside me, and God began to minister to me: "It is not you. That is Me in you. That is Me in you, judging the spirits in those people."

In any event, that pastor and his wife have been in trouble most if not all of their lives since then, because they tried to stop the move of God. People who think for one minute that they can resist the move of the Holy Spirit are not very intelligent.

Jesus' Judgment Was Just

Look again at John 5:30:

...As I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Jesus is your example. That is what we are talking about--how He conducted Himself on this earth, how He communed with the Father, how He was always led by the Spirit, how He always did what He saw the Father doing, how He always knew the Father heard Him, and how He only did the things that pleased the Father. Judgment was part of what Jesus did.

If you are walking in the Spirit, judgment will come out of your mouth. If you are walking in the flesh, however, your judgment will be in the flesh, and it will not be just. If you are walking in the Spirit, then as Jesus said here:

...My judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me (v. 30).

If you are seeking the will of the Father, your judgment will be just, because if you are seeking His will, you will only judge as you hear.

Judgment Begins at the House of God

I have come to see that anyone who obeys God, if he is in the apostle's, prophet's, pastor's, teacher's, or evangelist's ministry, will have judgment coming out of his mouth. You can see in the fifth chapter of the book of Acts that the apostle Peter judged Ananias and Sapphira, and they died.

You can see in Acts chapter 13 that Elymas, the false prophet, was trying to turn the deputy of Paphos from the faith. Paul said, "The hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season," and the man was blinded for a season. When the deputy saw what was done, he believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

You can see in the 12th chapter of Acts that King Herod had James killed and proceeded after Peter. One day Herod was speaking, and an angel of the Lord smote him, and he died.

Judgment Is for Correction

Judgment is in the mouth of God's people. Judgment is not for condemnation; it is for correction. However, correction can be to the point of death, if people are not willing to accept it.

We have not heard that taught in America. We have heard preachers trying to make us guilty, preaching, "Repent, or go to hell." That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about obeying the Spirit of God.

Let me tell you something about the Spirit of God. I Peter 4:17 says that judgment begins at the house of God. Judgment is instant, and it occurs so that people might fear God.

Judgment has begun in the house of God in the United States of America. In 1986, God said to me, "The way that American preachers take up offerings, this ignorance I have winked at. But now I command them to repent everywhere." If you will check, you will find that the financial problems that ministries experienced began in January 1986. And you will see more ministries with problems unless they repent.

CHAPTER 7

GOD WILL NOT CAST YOU OUT

The next verses I want to look at are John 6:32-37. Jesus was again speaking to the Jews, who had asked Jesus what sign He would show, that they might see and believe:

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven (v. 32).

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world (v. 33).

Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread (v. 34).

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (v. 35).

But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not (v. 36).

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (v. 37).

If you will come humbly to the Father in Jesus' name, the Father will bring you to Jesus and will forgive you, and Jesus will not cast you out. Stop being afraid that you are going to be rejected. Jesus died for people when they were dead in their trespasses and sins. Jesus is not going to turn around and reject you after He died for you. That would be ridiculous.

Even though it is ridiculous, I have thought that, too. There were times in the mid-1970's when I was trying to work my way through certain spiritual problems, that I was not sure what God had done with me. I had many religious people helping Satan try to convince me that God was rejecting me.

Thank God, I had enough sense to read the Bible--to continue to read it, study it, and believe what I could. God helped my unbelief. He would do a miracle when I needed it, and it would always encourage me.

I will always appreciate how God led me with signs and wonders. Each time it appeared that I was not going to make it, He would come through with a mighty sign and wonder. I would say, "Oh, yes, God is with me still," and I would continue to believe God. Now my faith has been perfected to a point that I walk in financial prosperity and divine health and other blessings. I will continue that way because that is the will of God.

Live By His Faith

Habakkuk 2:4 tells us that there is a vision. The vision is: "The just shall live by his faith," that is, by the faith of God. Romans 1:16 tells us that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Then, Romans 1:17 states:

For therein [the gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by [His] faith.

The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Then what happens? The just shall live by His faith--by the faith of God. How do we get this faith? Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

All of this is very clear and absolutely Biblical. However, if there is anything that I recognize internationally, it is the religious concept of asking for money. I have not been any place where religious people understand finances.

I have never asked anyone for money. I never tell people that I need money. God wants me to teach you to stop begging for money, as well. Stop asking for money, and start believing God. If you will seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and pray about your financial problems until God supplies you, as I have learned to do, the money will be manifested every time.

The church of America and the world has been taught by beggars to be beggars. That is why Christians are always begging for money. The reason you always have to ask for money is that you are not doing the will of the Father.

I do not have to ask for finances. Let me tell you, I am not one of God's favorite children. I am one who obeys Him. Because I obey Him, favor encompasses me. Religious people need to stop calling people, writing people, and asking people to pray about their needs.

I do not tell anyone my needs. I do not have to. You do not need to pray about my needs. Instead, pray that I will speak boldly as I ought to speak, as you are instructed in Ephesians 6:20. Then you will be obeying God.

Jesus Will Lose Nothing

Jesus continued in John 6:38:

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

That is why Jesus came. He did not come to do His will, but the will of Him who sent Him.

John 6:39 goes on:

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day (v. 39).

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (v. 40).

Do you see that? "...Lose nothing..." The Father's will is that you not be lost. Can you believe that? If you believe it, why are you so nervous about being lost? God does not lose people. People lose God. They do not follow Him. They do not listen to His voice. They do not listen to His words. They do what they want to.

I Will in No Wise Cast Him Out

In the early 1970's, when no one would encourage me, I encouraged myself with John 6:37:

...And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

I found that verse, and I held onto it. I said, "Well, I am coming to you, Jesus, and You cannot cast me out, because You said that You would not. I am believing You, and I will gain the victory in this situation. I will not be defeated."

I cannot count the number of times I have prayed that verse. But you have to believe it. If you believe it, you will pray it. You will not say, "Oh God, what are You doing to me, leaving me here like this?" That is nothing but doubt and unbelief and a hard heart.

If you believe God, you will pray verse 37. You will hold onto that verse when everything else fails. If you believe God, you will say to Jesus, "Anyone who comes to You, You will in no wise cast him out." And, as John 6:40 says, Jesus will "lose nothing, but raise [you] up again the last day."

Look at John 6:40:

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

If you believe on Jesus, He will not lose you. You are not going to be left. Jesus was not afraid that the Father would lose Him, and Jesus will not lose you. But you have to believe Him.

CHAPTER 8

JESUS' DOCTRINE WAS OF GOD

I want to show you some more verses describing how Jesus conducted Himself on the earth.

Start with John 7:14:

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

His brothers and sisters had just been chiding Him, telling Him that He ought to do His works openly. He told them in John 7:6, "My time is not yet come." They went on to Jerusalem, and after they left, He followed.

The Spirit Does the Work

They did not believe who He was. His own brothers and sisters did not acknowledge Him as the Son of God. Can you imagine living in a house with Jesus? If a life could influence someone, Jesus' life should certainly have influenced His brothers and sisters to believe that He was the Messiah. Yet they did not believe on Him.

You see, it is the Spirit of God who does the work. It is not your flesh, nor your life. You need to understand that you cannot be good enough to influence people.

John 16:8-10 tells us that the Holy Spirit convinces us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is not your good works or your smiling face. There is nothing wrong with your smiling face; you simply will not influence people with it. It is the work of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus is My Example

Look at John 7:15:

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Jesus had never been to a seminary. He had never sat at any man's feet. He was taught by the Father. The doctrine that he had was the Father's doctrine.

Jesus is my example. Jesus was not a Pharisee. He was not a Sadducee. He was not an Herodian. He renounced all of the Pharisees', Sadducees', and Herodians' religion and all of man's tradition. He did not teach their doctrine. He upset them. In fact, if you will study the Bible, you can see how the Father sent Jesus on the sabbath day to upset and provoke the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians.

Do you know what God is doing today? He is provoking religious people with words, signs, and wonders. The reason I have no problem remaining independent from denominations is that Jesus was independent. I am not bound by denominationalism. Denominationalism is not now, has never been, and never will be of God. The sooner you renounce your denomination and leave it, the better off you will be.

The Doctrine Is of God

John 7:16 continues:

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

The word "doctrine" means "teaching." "My [teaching] is not mine, but his that sent me."

Look at John 7:17:

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

This verse convinced me in the 1970's that if I will do the will of the Father, I will know the doctrine of the Lord Jesus, whether it be of God or not. The only way you will know that the Bible is true is to do the will of the Father.

The reason you do not believe the Bible--the reason the Bible does not work in your life, is that you never do the will of the Father. If you will do the Father's will and be led by the Spirit, you will know that the doctrine I teach is the Father's doctrine.

When I began to see how Jesus walked, I said, "All right, Jesus. Take my life and lead me. I am not going to make any effort to do anything on my own. I want you to lead me." He did, and I found that this works every time. What I teach is not mine. As I hear, I speak.

Seek His Glory That Sent You

John 7:18 states:

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, The same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

There is no unrighteousness in a person who only wants the honor of God.

Men and women who want to be honored by men are full of unrighteousness. Men and women who want the honor of organizations, the honor of denominations, or the honor of other ministries are full of unrighteousness. Jesus said that if you will seek God's honor, His glory and His only, and let Him be glorified in every situation, there is no unrighteousness in you.

Do you have unrighteousness in you? Do you like to go your own way? Do you have your own program set up in church, or do you have the will of the Father? Do you have the Father's will, or do you have yours?

If you have your will, you are full of unrighteousness. If you are full of unrighteousness, you will be in trouble somewhere along the way. The church of America must repent. It must acknowledge that it has been rebellious, and it must come to Jesus.

If you seek the glory of God, you are true, and there is no unrighteousness in you. If you do not seek the glory of God--if you want to go your own way and have the honor of man, you are not true, and you are full of unrighteousness. The sooner you accept that, the better off you will be.

Present Your Body a Living Sacrifice

That is frightening, did you know that? You say, "Well what if I am not true?" You will have to talk to God about it. God can make you true, if you are willing to humble yourself and present your body a living sacrifice to God.

Say to God, "God, you know I want my own way. You know I want my glory. You know I want the honor of man and not Yours." God will say, "Sure, I know it. Now that you admit it, I can do something with you."

I have never been so astonished as I was the day God showed me these verses. There is no unrighteousness in a person who always seeks the glory of God.

Seeking the glory of God is the only way to walk. Do you know why? That is the way Jesus walked. Are you ready for the rest? That is the way we are supposed to walk. We are supposed to walk as He walked, if we abide in Him.

You say, "This is too difficult." No, this is impossible. You have to present your body a living sacrifice to God and let Him lead you. You cannot do this on your own. That is why no flesh is going to glory in His presence.

I am sorry to deflate you so much at one time. No, I am not. I am telling you that the greatest thing that can ever happen to you is to follow God.

CHAPTER 9

JESUS WAS A LIGHT

Look at John 12:44:

Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

If you believe on the Lord Jesus, you believe on the Father.

And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me (v. 45).

Jesus said that if you see Him, you see the Father.

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness (v. 46).

Jesus was a Light and is a Light. The Word of God is the light, and you are not to abide in darkness. God will lead you out of darkness and bring you into His marvelous light. II Corinthians 4:4 tells us that the gospel is the marvelous light.

Continue with John 12:47:

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world (v. 47).

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (v. 48).

Jesus will not judge you. However, if you and I do not believe His words, we have a judge. The words that He spoke will judge us. When you and I reject the words of God, those words will judge us.

Hosea 4:6 says:

Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me.

The knowledge the people rejected is the knowledge of God. You cannot reject the words of God. So accept the Word. Believe the Word. Walk in the Word, and do not let the devil steal it from you.

Judgment Will Come

In July 1985, I was praying one day, and the Father told me that America could not discern its right hand from its left. He showed me in a vision a tower like the tower of Babel. He told me that the tower represented confusion, and that it was His church.

I said to Him, "Lord, I cannot accept that your church is totally confused." I told Him I needed to see some scripture for confirmation, and He said, "Read the book of Jonah."

So I did, and when I reached the end of the book, the last verse said that there were more than 120,000 people living in Nineveh who could not discern between their right hand and their left hand. God asked me, "Do you think that is confusion?" I said, "I think so." He said, "Well, that is My church."

Then He told me, "I am going to judge America with your mouth." At that time, I did not understand, but I finally saw that as the words of God are spoken out of my mouth, judgment occurs.

I do not have to be present for judgment to occur. People do not have to hear me speak. The words of God will begin to judge and to correct when they are spoken. God will cause people to be brought face to face with His words.

You say, "I do not believe that." Well, I did not believe it, either. But you can turn to Ezekiel 11:13 and see that the Spirit of God lifted Ezekiel up, showed him 25 princes of Israel, and told him to prophecy against them. When Ezekiel prophesied, one of the princes died. If you do not believe that the word of God judges, read the Bible.

The Father Does the Works

John 12:49 continues:

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

The Father told Jesus what He should say and what He should speak.

And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak (v. 50).

Whatever the Father said, Jesus spoke.

In John 14:10, Jesus said:

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

The words are not of Jesus. The Father is in Him, and He is in the Father. The Father who dwells in Him does the works. It is the Father in me who does the works, as well. You see, you and I are supposed to walk as Jesus walked.

The Measure of the Stature of Christ

The words that come out of my heart are the doctrine of the Father. I do not teach you; the Father does. I am not a gift to you. The measure of the stature of Christ in me is the gift to you. I am an earthen vessel letting that gift work.

The church needs to stop thinking that preachers are gifts to the church. Preachers need to stop thinking they are gifts, too. Preachers will say, "Don't touch me." They are simply clay. I have watched them. Someone walks by and they say, "Why did you touch me?"

You can touch me any time you want. You will be very disappointed, unless the Holy Ghost wants to give you a shock. Clay does not minister much.

It takes all the responsibility off of you when you find out that you are merely clay--merely an earthen vessel. In addition, God blesses you for being a vessel. That is how Jesus walked.

CHAPTER 10

JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF

Immediately before Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, He went to the Mount of Olives with His disciples. Look at Luke 22:39-46:

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him (v. 39).

And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation (v. 40).

Jesus told them to pray. Prayer keeps you out of temptation.

Verse 41 continues:

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed (v. 41),

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (v.42).

Religious people hindered me for years from teaching this accurately. They are not responsible, however--I am. I am responsible for being so blind that I let them.

In verse 42, as He kneeled down, Jesus said, "...Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Jesus was suffering as He prayed this prayer. Remember that Hebrews 2:18 says that Jesus suffered being tempted. According to the Bible, the only time you suffer is when you are tempted not to believe God.

Hebrews 2:10 says that Jesus was made perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 5:8 says that He learned obedience through suffering. Jesus experienced every temptation, and then He endured the cross.

In Mark 14:33-34, another account of this event, Jesus says that His soul was heavy and exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Heaviness was on Him. In Luke, He said, "...Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

Whether you accept this or not, this was an act of humility by Jesus. Philippians 2:8 says:

He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus humbled Himself, and He said, "...If thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done."

There have been three or four times in my life that I have had to make very difficult decisions, and each time I said, "Father, I commit this to you. If I have made a mistake--if it is your will for me to do something else, fine; if not, fine. Nevertheless your will be done." The Father confirmed my decision every time. Let me tell you this: the Father's will is to minister the gospel to you, and that gospel will not fail.

Angels Will Strengthen You

Now, look at Luke 22:43:

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

If you need strength, an angel will come and strengthen you. How do I know? Because an angel strengthened Jesus. If Jesus needed an angel to strengthen Him, how much more do you think we need angels to strengthen us? We might need two or three. An angel came from heaven and strengthened Him. When you need strength, thank God that the angels of God will strengthen you.

God ministered that to me one time. He said, "I am going to have angels minister to you and strengthen you." I was amazed. I thought, "What do you mean, angels ministering to me? I cannot even see angels." Well, certainly you cannot see angels until you believe God.

If you believe God, you will not care whether you see angels. When you are weak, if an angel comes and ministers to you and you are strengthened, you will not care if you saw him or not.

You will be like the blind man in John chapter 9. The Pharisees told him that sinners cannot heal. He said, "Whether this man is a sinner or not (talking about Jesus) I do not know. One thing I know--I was blind, and now I see." He could have added, "Even if He is a sinner, He did more than you could do."

Jesus Was in a Contest

Look at Luke 22:44:

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:...

That is the way Jesus prayed. The word "agony" comes from the Greek word agonia and means "a contest." God said to me once, "You will get into a contest praying. This is how your Brother prayed:"

...And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (v. 44).

I have never been in that kind of contest. I have not yet experienced prayer to that degree.

Pray, Lest Ye Enter into Temptation

Finally, look at Luke 22:45 and 46:

And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow (v. 45),

And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation (v. 46).

Jesus told them again how to stay out of temptation--pray. If you pray, it does not make any difference how the devil tempts you; you will not fall.

If you do not pray, you are simply a temptation looking for a place to happen. Believe me, it is true. When you pray, you are not going to fall. The angels will strengthen you, and you will be able to withstand the temptation.

Jesus did the Father's will. He had perfect communication with the Father, and He only did the things He saw the Father do. He was led by the Spirit, and His soul and body were made righteous by His faith and His obedience.

Jesus humbled Himself and obeyed the Father unto death, even the death of the cross. And because Jesus obeyed the Father and believed the gospel, you and I are able to walk even as He walked.

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